Crime

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—With spring break fast approaching, many West Michigan families are fine-tuning their travel plans—and so are thieves.

Most West Michigan schools will be out of session April 3-10, so families can take a vacation. East Grand Rapids Public Safety Director Mark Herald says this is the time homeowners need to step up safety measures. Herald shares seven ways to make your home less attractive to thieves:

KENTWOOD, Mich.—As the busiest shopping day of the year approaches, police are offering 10 ways to protect yourself and your vehicle from thieves.

Help Eliminate Auto Thefts (H.E.A.T.) works with Michigan law enforcement agencies to track down suspected car thieves and those suspected of auto theft-related insurance fraud. Shoppers are encouraged to follow these tips:

A resident recently complained about a caller who claimed to be from Consumers Power. Police say the suspects have an elaborate phone system set up, with recordings and prompts included. In voicemail messages, the suspects will leave a call back number of 1-888-288-6909, extension 2 and tell you a technician is en route to shut off your electricity. An officer who called the suspect’s number says the scammers became very outraged and threatened legal action, but when the officer identified themselves and asked for an address to send “a check”, the scammer hung up on them.

Police want to remind residents they should never give someone money over the phone.

KENT COUNTY, Mich.—Four additional officers from the Kent County Sheriff’s Department will be patrolling the hallways and grounds of West Michigan schools next fall.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners last week approved contracts in which the Kent County Sheriff Department will provide a school resource officer to Byron Center Public Schools, Kent City Community Schools and Kenowa Hills Public Schools. Lowell Area Schools is working with a community partner to fund a school resource officer and hopes to commit to a contract in the coming weeks.

The SROs will improve school safety by investigating school related incidences and taking a proactive approach to deter violence and crime on campus.

KENT COUNTY, Mich.—The sheriff department is warning residents about a scam that’s made its way into Kent County.

On June 16, a resident contacted the sheriff department to report a suspicious phone call. The suspect masked their phone number so it appeared the phone call was coming from the Kent County Sheriff Department. The predator told the victim the Kent County Sheriff Department had a warrant out for their arrest and they needed to pay hundreds of dollars to take care of the warrant. The scammer also used an actual sheriff department employee’s name. Fortunately, the victim thought the call was suspicious and contacted deputies.

LOWELL, Mich.—When Lowell Police Chief Steve Bukala heard about a new potential scam making its way around town, he picked up the phone and called the culprit.

Bukala says on Monday, a business got a call from a person posing as Peter Johnson from Lowell Electric. The suspect told the business it was $500 behind on its utility bill. Bukala says the call raised red flags- the utility company for Lowell is Lowell Light and Power and no Peter Johnson works at that company. The phone number also did not match.